Some files only visible in Explorer

[sara-thompson]

When moving files within Organizer, I keep getting a box saying "The folder being moved contains files that are not visible in the Organizer. Are you sure you want to move this folder?"

When I go to Explorer, sure enough, there are more files. If I try to import them through "get photos from files or folders", I get a box saying they are already in the catalog.

I tried deleting all images from the folder, without removing them from the hard drive. Then I imported the images again. That worked once, but not any more.

I am running Elements 4.0 on a PC. Any suggestions?

[Norm F]

Sara,

Try this. Go to the View menu and select "media Types". Select all of the options.

[sara-thompson]

Norm,

Thanks, but the only media type that wasn't checked was audio. I checked it, but the files that are inaccessible are photos and psd files, so no change.

The more I try to fix this, the worse it gets. How do I start over completely? Does "New Catalog" give me a blank slate, or does it just copy the garbage I have now?

Sara

[sanarita]

Sara, starting a new catalogue my give you a blank slate, but I'm not sure that it would correct the problems that you have been having. If you are THAT desperate, then at least go into Explorer and finish rearranging your files outside of the organizer. THEN create a new catalogue based on your new file structure, so that you will only have to do it once.

I have been folowing your trials for the past two days, and I can only imagine how frustrated you are becoming. I admire you for sticking with it and keeping posting for help with your dificulties. I am sure that you will end up working it through. :)

Helen

[sara-thompson]

Helen,

If I do rearrange the files in Explorer and then create a new catalog, will I be left with only jpegs, or will the psd files be there, too? What about tags and collections? I could redo those, but losing the edits and scrapbook layouts would be a disaster.

This all comes of a virus acquired when my husband did some upgrading without taking a backup first. He tried to save the files that were not backed up, but did it in Explorer. Then he decided to move things to a different drive. (so far, we're still married...)

I'm not bad in art, but this is beyond me. Thanks for your support.

Sara

[Ward Grant]

Norm,

Thanks, but the only media type that wasn't checked was audio. I checked it, but the files that are inaccessible are photos and psd files, so no change.

The more I try to fix this, the worse it gets. How do I start over completely? Does "New Catalog" give me a blank slate, or does it just copy the garbage I have now?

Sara

Sara-sounds like a real mess. I'm guessing you have carte blanche on Honey Make Up for awhile.

Now a New Catalog is a blank slate-you'll lose all tags, collections, slide shows, web pages, etc. This would be my path of last resort. If you do go this route, you can simple do File>Catalog>New and then File>Get Photos.
You could save your Tags by opening your current catalog and Select All>Write Tags to Photos. When you import to the new catalog, you should get a popup asking if you want to use these Tags.

We can try and find the problem first, if you wish. Can we isolate the problem down to a specific folder or set of pictures? The first thing we can try is to click the Hidden Tag icon to see if these pictures are just not showing. If you get no pictures, you can go to the next step.

Look at the lower left corner and switch the view in Organizer to Folder View. Find a folder you want to work with and find a picture that is in the folder but not showing in Organizer. Try a Get Photo on that photo. If you get the "Already In Organizer" message, try a Find command in Organizer with the file name and see if it shows up in a second folder. In this case we would have duplicate images, something Organizer does not like.

If we can work with one or two pictures and find a pattern, perhaps we can figure out a way to get your catalog settled.

[sara-thompson]

Ward,

Thanks for the advice and the sympathy. I'm not going to be at the computer this weekend, but I'll take a look at everything next week. I do think duplicate files are a big part of this problem. I'll post my results here, unless I should handle things differently.

Sara

[sara-thompson]

After an earnest and lively discussion, my husband finally put my files back where they started, and told me he would live with the situation until I moved them myself. After a week's work, all the files are on the new drive!

Here's what I learned, thanks in large part to all of you at the forum:

1. Edit/Preferences/Folder Location View/Show Folders/All Folders keeps the folder view from expanding and contracting and lets me add, remove, and rename folders.

2. Even in Show All Folders, I couldn't move a folder with a sub-folder. I had to create a new target folder on the new drive. Then I moved the subfolders first and worked my way up.

3. Make sure that everything in the Explorer file is also in the Organizer. No more loading just the pictures I want to work with.

4. Click on the folder icon above the thumnails to select all the pictures in a folder.

5. Select all the pictures in a folder, then Edit/Version Set/Convert Version Set to individual items. This gives the actual count of the files, for better comparison to Explorer.

6. If files from different folders are put in the same version set, The thumbnails disappear from all but one of the folders. This makes for problems.

7. I didn't find an easy way to do a side-by-side comparison with Explorer, but if I shrank the Organizer window as far as it would go, and set the thumbnail size to 2 across, I could get a comparable Explorer view at the far right of the screen. Then I went file by file until I found the troublemakers.

8. The contributors to this forum are most helpful and kind!


The current situation is now useable for some time, but I am still puzzling over one folder. This is where I put my working scrapbook files. They are all multi-layer psd files- no jpgs. The folder moved to the new drive, but won't move within the drive. I get an error message that says the disc may be full or there may be a problem with the source media. At least this is a new puzzle. There is 21.4 gb of free space on the disc, and the file is 8.56 gb, so there should be room to move it, shouldn't there?

I tried moving the files individually, and some will move, but some give a message that they are read-only.

Eventually I will have to figure this out, but for now, I'm celebrating!

Sara